civilized ku # 836 ~ ex post facto

Red Robin DINER ~ Binghamton, NY • click to embiggenWhat a difference a day makes and it seems like it was just yesterday that I wrote, "I haven't quite slipped back into the mindset of thinking and writing about the medium of picture making." However, as the Unthought Known would have it, it's gotten quite slippery around here and I could probably write quite a lengthy piece about the idea of place.

This inclination has arisen as a direct result of: 1) reading a piece by Frank Gohlke - a piece of his writing in the book Photography and Place - The Photography of Herbert W. Gleason, and, 2) a bit of reflection upon my exhibit The Forks - there's no place like home. Long story short, although there is a long story to come (in a few sequential entry installments), 1) + 2) = a picture making epiphany.

Simply stated, the epiphany, such as it was, consisted of the conscious recognition of how the idea / concept of place is, and has been for decades, the driving force behind virtually all of my personal (as opposed to my photography for commerce) picture making.

Why this realization has taken decades to bubble up to the surface of my conscious thinking is something of a mystery to me. Although, that said, I have been consciously aware of the fact that, in most areas of my life to most definitely include my picture making, intuition - aka, the Unthought Known - has been one of the primary, (if not the absolute primary motivator) factors in my decision making. I like to think (perhaps delusional) that some amount of common sense was involved, but, in fact, it has always been important (to me) that my actions feel/felt right rather than that they make/made sense.

In most cases, I'm happy to report, my intuition is/was correct - not always perfectly correct, but essentially correct.

All of that said and more relative to the focus of this blog, picture making wise, I have always followed my intuition regarding what to picture and how to picture it. Some might call that pursuing my vision and they would not be entirely off the mark. Vision, at least so in its most successful applications, is following the dictates of your "inner" voice even though the source of that voice might be obfuscated by the fog of the subconscious mind.

In my case, vision wise, I have been peering into the fog, seeking understanding, for quite a long time. My peering has, over time, revealed quite a bit of hint and suggestion regarding the why of my picture making. And, have no doubt about it, this blog has been the single most important lens through which I have attempted to disambiguate my picture making intentions.

Over the past few years here on The Landscapist I have delved into and offered for discussion and contemplation many of the stated "whys and wherefores" from many of the medium's most respected / successful practitioners. My intention was to perhaps be helpful to those who are / were in pursuit of similar disambiguous ends but, truth be told, the person that I hoped to be most helpful to is / was me, myself, and I.

While many took umbrage with and misunderstood my ramblings through the mindfield of the history and theories of the medium as arrogant ex cathedra proclamations, what I was hanging out there for your consideration (and mine) was actually a glimpse into one man's thoughts regarding what the hell it was he was doing and why. BTW, much thanks to those who have stayed the course and left constructive comments and feedback, both pro and con. It has been and continues to be both helpful and much appreciated.

So, all of that said, in tomorrow's entry I'll start a series of entries on the importance of place in my life and why, consequently - one could even say "naturally" - the concept / idea of place is and has been so influential in my life and, as it should be, in my picture making.

Comments

[Matt]

Excellent. As someone else who has also based nearly all of his creative work around place, I'm looking forward to your thoughts on this.